Machine for sowing seed.



BEST AVAILAELE C QPL g. WELSH.

I MACHINE FOP. SOWING SEED.

- APPLICkTIOX FILED 176.16, 1908.

Patented Sept. 27, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATWRHEYS In: m nus 112" no, wumnctun, a c.

W MACHINE FOB sowms SEED.

LPPLICA-QION FILED AUGJS, 1909. v

Patented Se t; 27,1910.

ATIORIETS Y O m: mums n-rru cu, nusnmumn. A c

1:11:; hu m ARCHER WELSH, OF BELLMOR, NEW JERSEY.

To all whom itma-y concern: 7

Be it known that '1, Auction W'rnsn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Bellmor, in the county ofCamden, State of Xew Jersey, have invented a new and useful Machine for Sowing Seed, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My present invention relates to a novel -1n'achine for sowing seed which is especially adapted for use in plant houses, nurseries and similar places or in the held, and the object of my invention is to devise an apparatus,l wherein the seed will be accurately planted in the ground at the proper intervals apart and to eliminate thewasteof] seed which occurs in prior devices with which I am familiar.

A further object of myiinvention is to distribute the seed at the desiredintervals apart and in any desiredv quantities to desired depths inthe soil and provide means for marking and lining out the rows and, for

covering the seed after the same has been deposited in the soil.

To the above ends my invention consists of a novel construction of a" planting dc vice wherein means are provided for marking the furrow, planting the seed at predetern'iined intervals apart, covering the seed and flattening the surface of the soil above the seed. 1

It further consists of a novelconstruction of a seed planter wherein a'hopper is provided which delivers the seed to pockets located in the rotatable drum whereby the seed will be distributed at predetermined intervals apart. g

It further consists of'a novel construction of a drum wherein the pockets are arranged and constructed in such a manner with relation to the inlet and outlet of the casing in which the drum is mounted thatthcre is'no liability of the seed becoming crushed or broken when the drum is rotated in either MACHINE r03 sowme SEED;

It further consists of other novel fea- Specification of Letters Patent. Pat ntefd Sept; 27, 19.10, Application filed August 16, 1909. Serial No. 512,948. g I

tures of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth. l

' For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although itis to be under-' .a-w, Fig.1. Fig. 3 represents a section on 1. line 3 l 1g. 2, on an enlarged scale. Fig.

4 represents a section on an enlarged scale on line 2-z, Fig. 2. tional view of a portion of my device showing more clearly the manner in which'the seed is discharged from the hopper into the pockets in the rotatable drum, the section being taken on line 3 1 Fig.2 and certain parts being removed for clearness of illustration. Fig. (ire iresents a sectional elevation of a modified 'form of drum.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures;

a casing to which is pix'otally supported by means of a fastening device 2, a socket 3, in which latter isremovably secured a handle 4 by means of a setscrew or equivalent fastening device 5. The casing 1 is chambered out to receive a drum or disk 6 which is retained in place by means of a preferably apertured plate 7 secured to the casing 1 by any suitable fastening device 8.

The drum 6 isrotatably mounted within the casing 1 and is provided with any desired or predetermined number of pockets 9, the opposite sides of which are cutaway or inclined, as indicated at 10, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The drum 6 is provided with a hub 11, in which is journaled a shaft 12 and on this shaft is mounted a supporting wheel 13, the outer periphery of which may be of any desired width, said wheel being adjustably mounted on the shaft 12 in any desired manner and in Referring to the drawings :-1 designates Fig. 5 represents a sec- 1 the present instance I have shown the same secured to the shaft 12 by means'of the set screw 14. V r I V The casing 1 is provided withan enlargement 1:") which is chambered out to form apassage 16 for the seed, said inlet passage terminating in close proximity tothe outer periphery of the drum 6. v

17 designates a hopper which is secured with respectto the enlargement in any suitable manner and in the present instance" the same is shown as secured in position by, means ofa suitable fastening device 18.

s The hopper if desired may have secured thereto, a cover 19. r

20 designates a dischargeoutlet to .iich

[the seeds are fed from the pockets ,9 in the drum'G, anddeposited in the furrow formed 4 by the furrow disk 2l,which latter is mount-' ed in arms 2" secured to the casing l by means of suitable fastening device 23; I

In order that the ground w1ll be properly marked off, I provide a marking disk 26,

adjustably mounted on the shaft 12 by means of a set screw or equivalent device 27. In order to provide for properly covering the seed after it has been deposited in the ground atthe desired intervals apart, I provide an arm 24 of any deslred contour, such 7 arm being suitably secured to the casing. 1

I by means of fastening devices 25.

In the embodiment seen in Fig. 6, I have shown a modified form of drum, wherein I have dispensed with the pockets 9, and I provide a drum 6 with an annular groove 28 on its periphery, the purpose of which is to provide continual feed for the seed passing from the hopper 17 substantially the same'as would be given in case the pockets of the periphery of the drum were In very close proximity to each other. I

The operation of my novel machine for sowing seed will now be readily understood and is as fol'lows:-The seed which it isdesired to plant is placed inthe hopper 17 and the cover 19 closed. The machine. then by means of the handle 4 is moved either forwardly or backwardly over the ground vwhich is to be planted and the furrow in which the seed is to be planted will be prop-- erly marked out by means of the marking therewith the drum 6 so that the seed which is deposited in the pockets 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, will be carried around with the drum and when such pocket carrying seed comes-into register with the-discharge outlet 20 the seed contained in said pocket will pass through the discharge outlet 20 and be deposited in the furrow formed by the fun row-disk 21'. will be deposited at predetermined distances. apart in an accurate and reliable manner when the machine is being moved either forwardly or rearwardly.

Assuming that the machine is being moved forwardly, after the seed is deposited in the furrow, thecovering member. 24; will cause the seed deposited in the furrow to be covered with the soil so that when the nextrmv is being planted with seed, the broad surface of the supporting wheel 13 will bear upon "the soil above the seed which has been plant-- ed and properly pressed down the soil above:

a v It has been found in practice that if the the seed.

pockets 9 extend to the periphery of the drum in such a'manner as to have sharp cor- J ners there is liability; of the seed becoming crushed as the pocket passes beneath the inlet 13and I therefore preferably-in practice cut away or inclined the pocket on opposite sides so that there will be no liability of the seed becoming crushed when the machine is being moved either forwardly or rearwardly in order to deposit the seed in the ground.

Incase it is desired to plant a continuous row of seeds the drum shown in F ig. 6 will. be employed in which. case the seed entering the inlet 6 will pass around the groove 28 1 and discharge through the discharge outlet 20 into the furrow, it being apparent that the. ground will be marked out, furrowed,

the seed covered and the ground rolled in precisely the same manner as I have heretofore described.

It will be apparent that seed I In case it is desired to plant seed of different sizes or at ditferen't intervals apart f the plate 7 would he removed thereby per- -mitting removal of the drum 6 and a drum would be substituted therefore in which the pockets were of the desired dimensions and .l in which the pockets would be of the prede,

termined distance apart so that the seeds could be deposited at any desired intervals from each other, itbeing apparent that the drum may vary in accordance with the requirements and conditions arising in practime. It will also be apparent that the pockets in the periphery of the drum may be so located that substantially a continuous row of seed may be planted similar to what would be accomplished in case the annular groove 28 is employed. The width of the furrow may be varied by laterally adjusting the marking disk and'the supporting wheel on theshaft 12. I

It will now be apparent that I have de vised a novel and useful construction of a machine for sowing seed which embodies the I sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 r 1. In a seed planter, a driving shaft, a

supporting wheel mounted thereon, a marki ing disk mounted on said shaft, a drum mounted on said shaft intermediately of ,sflld wheel and disk and provided with seed retaining pockets on its periphery, an inclosing casing in which said drum is loosely mounted and having a delivery spoutat its lower portion and an inlet passage at its upper portion, a furrow disk rotatably carried b Y said casing and in alinement with the de ivery spout, and means for adjusting the relative position of said supporting wheel and marking disk tovary the width of the furrow. I

2. In a seed planter, a driving shaft, :1 supporting wheel mounted thereon, a-marking disk mounted on said shaft, a drum mounted on said shaft interniediately of said wheel and disk and provided with seed retaining pockets on its periphery, the cit-cumferential edges of" said pockets being inclined, aninclosing casing loosely mounted on said drum and having a delivery spent at its lower portion and an inlet passage at its upper portion, a furrow disk rotatably carried by said shaft and in alincinent with the delivery spout, and meansfor adjusting the relative position of said supporting wheel and marking disk to vary the, width 1 of the furrow, in combination with means carried by the casing for covering the deposited seeds with soil.

3. In a seed planter, a driving shaft, a

ing disk to vary the depth of the furrow.

4.111 a seed planter, the combination of and provided with seed retaining pockets on its periphery, the opposite edges of said provided with an inlet and discharge passage, said inlet passage having the walls near its innerjperiphery converging to substantially the same diameter as the seed retaining pockets. 7 I 7 5. In a seed planter, a-driving shaft, a feed drum adj ustably mounted thereon and provided with seed retaining pockets on its outer periphery, having their circumferened on said drum and provided with inlet and discharge passages cooperating with said seed retaining pockets, a platesecured to said casing to maintain said feed drum in operative relation with respect to said'inlot and discharge passages, a supporting wheel carried by said shaft, a marking disk carried by said driving shaft, and means for adjusting the relative longitudinal position of said supporting wheel and disk on the driving shaft to vary the depth of the furrow. 1

' ARCHER WELSH.

Witnesses: v, I I i I H. S. FAIRBANKS, C. D. MoVAY.

supporting wheel mounted thereon, a markposition of said supporting wheel and markpockets being inclined and said casing being tial edges inclined, a casing loosely 1nount- 65," a cas1ng, of a feed drum mounted therein I 

